In "Gadajace glowy" ("Talking Heads") Krzysztof Kieslowski filmed people of all ages and asked them when they were born, what they are, and what they would like the most in life. The film assembles their responses with straight cuts from youngest to oldest (starting with a baby and ending with a lady of 100 years-old),and with their birth years appearing on screen, going from 1979 until 1880.

But what's so fascinating about this short documentary is how the things said by all the people interviewed are the same things most people, all around the globe, want in their lives, so the film proves that we have a common goal in different stages of life. A kid answers that all he wants in life is to have a car, later a grow man still doesn't know what he wants for his life except to know what it is to be a human being, some people share great aspects of their lives and others a more reserved, quite sad opinions, but in the end all of their statements is to tell that they expect of life better and good things.

It's a very positive film in its simple achievement, way better than "49 Up" a documentary that followed the lives of a bunch of individuals and most of them succeeding in what they were destined to be, others don't. In these last one, I haven't found much use of the information provided, it was depressive and almost pointless. It's good but very forgettable. Now, "Gadajace glowy" is very good and Kieslowski makes a universal work (even though the people interviewed are Polish) that resonates life as it is. Complex and simple at the same time, all people want the same things out of it (and you'll be identified with most of the answers given) but something makes us closer of our destiny, other times very distant, almost impossible. For everything that stands it's a great and unforgettable documentary. Thumbs UP! 10/10

Seemingly dozens of people tackle this question, from an infant who sits there silently, to a woman a hundred years old.

Actually, they don't seem to address the first question, or perhaps in Polish the distinction is not clear. They answer not who they are, but what they are: a potential fireman, or a taxi driver, or a sociologist, or a recent widow or one hundred years old. The answer to the second question also shows an interesting arc: the very young speak of what they want personally, the adults of what they want society to be, and the old and very old.... want nothing. A few more years perhaps.

This is a 15-minute black-and-white short film by Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski. He made it in 1980 when he already had a prolific body of work and yet was over a decade ago from his most famous works. In this short documentary, he interviews people about very general, but equally personal questions. The most interesting thing is that he starts with a newborn and then moves back in time in terms of the year in which the interviewees were born. The last one was born in 1880 already. Before her, we hear a woman who just became a widow very briefly before this was made. This was possibly the most emotional moment when she tells that there is nothing she wants from life anymore. She was probably married 50 years or longer and now she is alone. Truly sad. A good little movie and I recommend watching it because I found it interesting what people had to say about life back then. All in all, not too different maybe from what people would answer today and I am actually curious how lives went on for the people in this film. That's certainly a success. Raising interest in the audience is always a strong achievement. Watch it.